`Tight copyright norms must for entertainment industry's growth'
Stringent copyright laws are necessary to ensure a healthy growth of the Rs 25,000-crore entertainment sector.
Stringent copyright laws are necessary to ensure a healthy growth of the Rs 25,000-crore entertainment sector.
According to PHDCCI, music the industry in the country has lost Rs 1,800 crore in revenue over the last three years and music companies cumulatively have incurred a cash loss of over Rs 600 crore during the last 18 months.
Most worryingly, due to copyright violations, there has been a 27 per cent drop in sales volumes and 38 per cent drop in value terms during the last two years. Such a scenario can have adverse impact on the employment prospects of over 20 lakh people working in the music industry.
Internet piracy has fast emerged as one of the biggest banes ailing the industry. At present, there are about 600 sites that allow downloading of music from the Net and all these sites are illegal with most of them based on US servers. Taking action against these sites would call for the support of the Indian Government by way of jamming these sites.
It further said that though Indian Copyright Act is in line with the best in the world, the Government should streamline the law to ensure that the punishment is proportionate to the gravity of the offence.
